At the age of 90, T. Srinivasan diligently sits in front of the computer every day, typing in both Sanskrit and Tamil for his next book. He is an expert in agamas (ancient temple rituals and practices). He doesn’t stop with this. He even plans the design and layout of the book. He learnt Adobe Pagemaker at the age of 86 on his own and has been working on it ever since.
“I studied the Vedas to become a priest. Though I became one, I never abandoned the habit of reading the old Sanskrit scripts. Based on my research, I wrote the first prose book on the day-to-day temple ritual called Sri Padmatantra Prayogam. I even started my own press Sri Raghavasimham Press in the 80s. Through the years, I have been writing and printing my own books,” says this resident of Mandavelipakkam, who has written 16 books on various subjects based on the ancient Sanskrit texts. Srinivasan is also proficient in reading and composing in Grantham.
“I was hand-composing till 2000, after which I bought a computer. For an old man like me it was a drastic change. But, I had to learn to use the applications to be able to write. I even cut and bind my own books,” says Srinivasan, who has served as a priest at the Vedantadesikar Temple in Mylapore. He also delivers religious discourses and kathakalakshepams. His books have also been prescribed by the HR & CE Board for those studying to become priests. The books can be bought from his office. Address: No. 1, Second Trust Main Road, Mandavelipakkam.
The Hindu
